Torrential rains have unleashed deadly flash floods in south-central Texas, killing at least 24 people and leaving nearly two dozen girls missing from a riverfront summer camp.
The United States National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County, located in south-central Texas Hill Country, about 100km northwest of the major city of San Antonio, following thunderstorms with heavy downpours that dumped as much as a foot of rain.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 flood-related fatalities had been confirmed, up from an earlier tally of 13.
Search for girls attending summer camp
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said on Saturday that authorities were searching for 23 to 25 girls listed as missing from among more than 750 children at summer camp sites along the banks of the Guadalupe River when the area was inundated by floodwaters.
The missing campers had all been attending Camp Mystic, a private summer camp for girls.
Onlookers survey damage along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area. Source: AAP / Eric Gay/AP
Otherwise, all other campers were safe, authorities said.
‘This happened very quickly’
“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with radar.” — Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville.
Rice told reporters the extreme flooding struck before dawn with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders.
Pressed by reporters why more precautions were not taken with stormy weather in the forecast, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly — the top local elected official — insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen.
Over 200 evacuations, disaster declared
As of Saturday afternoon, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration to hasten emergency assistance to Kerr and a cluster of additional counties hardest hit by the floods.
